Table and lighting contrivance



April 28, 1931. J, L 1,802,528

TABLE AND LIGHTING CONTRIVANGE Filed June 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 I; I g2- 23 L lgum!!!Illlllllllllmllll 1 .1: 'IIIIY: 1

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. April 28, 1931.

J. PETROLO TABL E AND LIGHTING CONTRIVANCE Filed June 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 jwuentoz Patented Apr. 28, 1931 PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH PETBOLO, OF REPUBLIC, PENNSYLVANIA TABLE AND LIGHTING GON'IRIVANCE Application filed June 27,

This invention relates to articles of furniture and particularly to an article of furniture provided with electric lights and supporting the same.

The general object of this invention is to provide an article of furniture carrying a vertically movable lamp support normally disposed in what may be termed a concealed position in the article of furniture but releasable so that it may be shifted to an elevated and display position.

A further object is to provide an article of furniture preferably constructed as a table in which the lam support is concealed within av recess in the ta le top and held in a lowered position by a latch, the lamp support when released shifting automatically to a raised position, the article being provided with a suitable switch whereby the lamps may be turned on or off as desired.

A further object is to provide an article of this character in which the lamps are adapted to be connected toany suitable source of current, in which circuit completing contacts are broken when the lamp support is lowered into the recess. in the article of furniture and circuit through these contacts completed when the lamp support is raised.

Other objects will appear in the course of 80 the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein V Figure 1 is a top plan View of a table structureconstructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; I I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section on the line H of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a section on the line, 5 of Figure 1.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates a table top, the drawin s showing the invention as applied to a table, though I do not wish tobe limited to this This table is provided with the leaves 11 having brackets 12 whereby theleaves may be supported. Extending downward from the table top and 1929. Serial No. 374,225.

connected in any suitable way thereto are the four legs 13 preferably having a platform 14 at their lower ends upon which a battery box 15 may be disposed and having longitudinally extending shelves 16 disposed below the top 10 and acting as leg stiffeners. I do not wish to be limited to these details of construction, however; as obviously these might be modified in many ways.

The table top 10 is formed with a recess 17 which may extend entirely through the table top and below the recess and extending downward toward the shelf 14: is a hollow column 18. Hinged to one wall of the recess are the two doors or flaps 19 disposed one on 5 each side. of the middle portion of the recess. Extending downward through the column 18 are interior guides 20' which are vertically slotted at their lower ends as at 21 and exposed below the upper face of this recess so that the doors 19 may close over the cross piece. The upright 22 at its lower end carries a transversely extending rod 25 slidingly engaging in the slots 21, this rod at its ends; being connected to contractile springs 26 which extend upward and are operatively connected to the table top. Thus the upright or support 22 isurged upward. I

For the purpose of holding the support in 35 its loweredor what may be termed its concealed position, I provide the lower end of the upright with a recess 27 defining a tooth 28 preferably covered .with metal and mountedwithin one of the guidewalls-21 is; the pivoted latch 29. A. spring 30 urges the lower end of this latch outward and the upper end into engagement with the tooth 28.

A release rod 80" extends upward and outward to the top of the table and is there provided with a button '31. When this button is depressed the latch 29 is retracted and the springs in that case shift the support 22 upward to itsfully raised position as illustrated in Figure 2. lVhen the support is depressed; 00

have a separate switch for this purpose.

the latch 29 will automatically engage the lower end of the support and hold the support lowered.

Carried upon the support are contact plates 32 and 33, one below the other connected by conductors 34 to the lamps. Mounted within the wall of the guide casing'20 are two contact plates 35 and 36 connected by conductors 37 tothe battery contained within the box 15 or connected to any other suitable source of current. When the support 22 is lowered, connection is broken between the plates 35 and 36 and between the plates 32 and 33, but when the support is raised to its full height by the springs 26, contact is made between these plates and provided the switch 40 is turned on, the electric lamps will be energized.

Preferably an electric lamp 38 will be disposed beneath the table top which may be turned OK or on by the same switch 40 00; course, it will be understood that standard wiring may be used for the lights and standard switches used and that in place of the battery, the conductors 37 may lead to means whereby the lamp may be plugged in on any light circuit.

The doors 19 when closed are adapted to be held closed by means of button clasps 39, though any other means may be used for this purpose. Preferably, the cross bar 23 will be removable from the upright 22, though I do not'wish to be limited to this and preferably, the cross bar 23 at its middle will be provided with a metallic member 41 shown as in the form of a star or having any other ornamental form designed to aid in concealing the opening or middle portion of the recess 17.

I have illustrated the support 22 as being formed in two sections a and b, the sections being held together by a longitudinally extending bolt 42' as seen in Figure 5, this bolt having a flat screw head 43 at its upper end and engaging a nut 44 held within a recess in the lower section b. The aperture whereby the head 43 is engaged will be covered by the plate 41. It will be understood, of course, that additional means might be used for bolting the support 22 in its lowered p0- sition. a manually retractible bolt for this purpose.

This means might be in the form of This would be merely means for insuring thatthe support should not suddenly spring up if the bottom 31 was accidentally depressed. I

While I have illustrated one particular formof my invention, it is obvious that it may be applied to articles of furniture of many different designs and while it is particularly applicable to tables, I do not wish V to be limited to this application, nor to the details of construction illustrated.

In the use of this device, under normal circumstances, the upright 22 and the cross bar 23 are depressed into the recess 17 and the doors 19 are closed so as to leave a flush table top. If it be desired to use the lamp, the release button 31 is depressed which releases the latch and permits the springs to shift this upright support 22 upward carryingwith it the cross bar 23. If now the switch 37 be turned, the lamps will be energized. If the switch 37 should be forgotten and the lamp support be depressed, the lamps will be deenergized through the breaking of the circuit through the contacts 33, 34, 35 and 36.

Preferably though I do not wish to be limited to this, the casings 45 are disposed below the table within which the lamps 24 are carried when the lamp support is lowered. These casings protect the lamps 24 from in jury and conceal these lamps. The casings are preferably perforated so that in case any 1 liquid should leak around the doors 19 and through the slots 17, the liquid will not be retained within the casings. A latch 46 is disposed on the table 10 as illustrated in Figure 2 for engagement with the support 22 so as to hold the support closed against any accidental release. This latch is normally concealed by the plate 41 when the support is lowered into therecess. This latch might be mounted upon the support 22 if desired and the keeper be in the table top 10. The lamp 38 may be protected by a wire netting (not shown) so as to prevent any accidental breaking of this lamp.

I claim 1. An article of furniture having a top and a. guideway extending downward from the top, said guideway comprising a hollow col.- umn and a pair of slotted guide members mounted within said column, a lamp support- 1 -1ng member shdmgly disposed within the guideway having-a cross bar at its upper end and a pair of oppositely extending arms at its lower end, electric lamps mounted upon the cross bar, the top of the article being:

2. An article of furniture comprising a table having legs and atop, a vertically disposed guideway extending downward from the top, said guideway comprising a hollow column and a pair of slotted guide members mounted within said column, a lamp support having a vertical member slidingly mounted .withinthe guideway and a cross barat its upper end and a pair of oppositely extending arms at its lower end, an electric lamp supported upon the cross bar, the table top being formed with a recess into which the cross bar may be depressed when the lamp support is lowered, springs carried by the top and engaging the oppositely extending arms for normally urging the lamp support upward, a manually releasable latch holding the lamp support in a depressed position, and means for electrically connecting the lamps to a source of current when the lamp support is raised, said means automatically breaking the circuit through the source of current when the lamp support is lowered.

3. An article of furniture comprising a table having legs and a top, a vertically disposed guideway extending downward from the top, said guideway comprising a hollow column and a pair of slotted guide members mounted within said column, a lamp support having a vertical member slidingly mounted within the guideway, a cross bar at its upper end and a pair of oppositely extending arms at its lower end, an electric lamp supported upon the cross bar, the table top being formed with'a recess into which the cross bar. may be depressed when the lamp support is lowered, springs carried by thetop and engaging the oppositely extending arms for normally urging the lamp support upward, a remotely releasable latch holding the lamp support in a depressed position, means for electrically connecting the lamps to a source of current when the lamp support is raised, said means automatically breaking the circuit through the source'of current when the lamp support is lowered, doors hinged to one wall of the recess and adapted to be closed over the, cross bar of the lamp support when the lamp support is lowered, latches for holding said doors closed, and a switch connected in circuit with the lamps whereby the circuit through the lamps may be closed or opened.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

JOSEPH PETROLO. 

